Mechanism for bending structural shapes.



E. Y. MOORE.

MECHANISM FOR BENDING STRUCTURAL SHAPES.

APPLICATION FILED JULYI5, 1914.

Patnted May 11, 1915.

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THE NoRP/s PETERS cow, PHOTaL/THO V/Abrll ETTTTED %TATE PATNT FFTE EDWARD Y. MOORE, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

MECHANISM FOR IBENIDING STRUCTURAL SHAPES.

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Application filed July 15, 1814.

T all 1072 cm it may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD Y. MOORE, a citizen of tie United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Mechanism for Bending Structural Shapes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention is for a machine for bending structural shapes such as I-beams, channel irons, etc.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple eflicient machine of such nature, so arranged that it may be readily adjusted for various sizes of such structural pieces.

Still another object is to so arrange the machine that any portion, either the intermediate or an end portion, of a beam may be most conveniently bent to the given radius.

The above and other objects will become apparent in the following description, which refers to the drawings, and the essenti al characteristics of my invention are set forth in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of a machine showing an I-beam being bent by the machine; Fig. 2 is a vertical section through one of the bending members showing an I-beam in position and means for holding the same; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section through the other bending member.

Referring to the drawings, by reference numerals, 5 indicates a suitable frame memher, which, as shown, is provided with flanges 6, through which bolts 7 may project to secure the frame to any suitable support.

Carried on the base member is a rotary bending member 8, mounted to turn about a shaft 9. As shown this member is an oscillating segment composed of upper and lower castings 10 and 11, each having suitable hubs 12 fitting over the shaft 9, although it may be any rotary member having the desired characteristics. The segment members are provided with suitable spokes 1a carrying the rims, on which are provided integral flanges 16 projecting therefrom in a radial plane. These flanges are adapted to embrace the upper and lower sides of the structural member to be bent. On the adjacent sides of these members are Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May llll, 1915.

Serial No. 851,042.

provided laterally projecting annular flanges 18 adapted to abut the flanges of an I-beam 13 providing the form about which the beam is to be bent.

At one side of the segment the flanges 16 carry integrally projecting ears 20, each provided with a radial slot to receive a keyshaped wedge 21, which may be driven into position to grip the beam and hold it against the flanges 18 and in the embrace of the flanges 16.

Mounted on the base 5 is a second rotary bending member 23 composed of two disklike members 24; having flanges 25 corresponding to the flanges 16 and adapted to embrace the I-beam, as shown. At the inner edges of these surfaces are formed shoulders 26 which correspond to the flanges 18 and form an abutment for the I-beam. These disk-like members 2% are preferably provided with suitable hubs embracing a rotatable shaft 28. This shaft is mounted at its upper and lower ends in slidable bearings 30 and 31 respectively, the bearing 31 being adjustably carried in a suitable guideway formed in the base 5, while the bearing member 30 is adjustably carried in a guideway 32 formed in a connecting frame 33.

The frame 33 has a bearing 3a embracing the shaft 9, thereby connecting and bracing these two shafts against the forces of the bending action. Although this frame may be any suitable tie between the two shafts, it is shown as comprising two diverging arms 36 extending to studs or pins 37 rigidly carried by the frame and two arms 38 extending from the arms 36 to the guideway for the slidable bearing 30. Set screws 40 may be employed to secure the frame in position by engaging the studs 37. The slide 30 may be provided with laterally ex tending flanges 4:2 engaging the under side of the guideway 32 to hold the rotary member 23 down in position while the bearing 34 of the frame prevents upward movement of the member 8.

To adjust the mechanism heretofore described for diiferent sizes of cross section of beams, I have provided for bringing the members 10 and 11 toward and away from each other and securing them in any desired position by using bolts 4% extending through distance pieceslf) between the rim portions of these members. It will be seen that any suitable lengths of distance pieces may be used and the desired relation between these members may be thereby secured. To correspondingly adjust the members 24, any suitable means may be provided, such as bolts 47 having thereon nuts 48 adapted to embrace each side of the members 24, and these members may be brought toward and away from each other by adjusting the nuts along their bolts. It will be seen, that by so adjusting these rotary members, I-beams or other structures of any suitable height may be conveniently embraced thereby. To allow for the different widths of the structural members, the slidable bearings 30 and 31 may be laterally shifted to bring the member 23 into the desired position and there secured by means of set screws 50.

When the beam is in position, the member 8 may be rotated to bend the same by means of a chain 52 extending around an upwardly projecting flange 56 and attached to an eye-bolt 53 secured to the member 11 at the side opposite the ears 20. By applying any suitable power (such, for example, as a hand operated hoist) to the chain in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1, the beam may be bent around the member 8 for any desired portion of its length. The chain lying against a laterally projecting flange 56, which is preferably adjacent the periphery of the segment, provides for the most efficient use of the power applied. A similar flange 57 may be provided on the member 11, bearing on an annular rib 58 on the base and allowing the use of two chains, if desired.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that I have provided a simple and eflicient bending mechanism by which I accomplish the purposes set forth and which may be conveniently used in connection with any suitable power without requiring an eX- pensive special equipment.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: 1. In a machine for bending structural beams, the combination of a rotary former composed of two segments, means for ad justing these segments toward and away from each other, means on each segment for embracing the sides and flanges of a structural beam and for engaging the edges of said flanges, means for locking such beam to the former at one point, means for rotating the former, and a coacting member on the opposite side of the beam.

2. In a machine for bending structural beams, the combination of a rotary former composed of two segments, means for ad justing these segments toward and away from each other, means on each segment for embracing the sides and flanges of a structural beam and for engaging the edges of said flanges, means for locking such beam to the former at one point, means for rotating the former, and a rotary member adjacent the former comprising two circular members adjustable toward and away from each other and adapted to embrace the sides and flanges of the beam.

3. In a machine for bending structural shapes, the combination of a rotary former composed of two segments adjustable toward and away from each other, such segments having parallel surfaces and shoulders adapted to engage the sides and flanges respectively of a structural beam, said parallel surfaces being'adapted to embrace substantially the full width of the flanges of the beam, means for locking the beam to. the segments at one point, a second rotary member composed of two circular parts adjustable toward and away from each other and having parallel surfaces and shoulders adapted to engage the beam, and means for changing the center distance between the rotary members. 7 j

4. In a machine for bending structural beams, the combination of a former comprising two rotary segments, means for changing the distance between these segments, means at the periphery of these segments adapted to embrace the sides and engage the flanges of a beam, a wedge for locking the beam to the segments, a rotary member adapted to engage the sides and .abut the flanges of the beam, means for mounting the segments and rotary member including bearings for one of the rotary members, and means for adjusting these bearlngs toward and away from the other rotary member.

5. In a machine for bending structural beams, the combination of a former comprising two members mounted on a shaft having radial parallel annular flanges adapted to embrace the sides of the beam and having laterally projecting annular flanges engaging the flanges of the beam, means for locking the beam to the former, an arcual shoulder on the former, a chain adapted to fit against said shoulder for rotating the former, and a rotary member adapted to embrace the beam to cause it to be bent around the former.

6. In a machine for bending structural shapes, the combination of a former composed of two members side by side and each provided with an arcual shoulder and an outwardly projecting flange, the two flanges projecting from the opposite sides of the respective shoulders, means for locking said members together adjacent to their peripheries in adjusted relationship, means for clamping the structural shape to the former, means connected with the former near its periphery for turning the former on its axis, and a member adapted to coact with the other side of the beam being bent.

7. In a bending machine, the combination of a shaft, two parallel members mounted thereon, means for holding said members to each other with space between them, each member having an arcual shoulder projecting toward the other and an outward radial flange extending from the far edge of said shoulder, means for anchoring a beam to be bent in the seat provided by the inward shoulders and the radial flanges, means for turning the structure described about the axis of the shaft, and a coacting rotary member adapted to engage the other side of the beam being bent.

8. In a bending machine, the combination of a bending member mounted to turn about an axis and having arcual shoulders abutting the inner edges of the flanges and means embracing the flanges of an Ibeam, awedge seating in extensions of said member for securing the beam to said member, a second bending member adjacent the first and having shoulders to engage the outer edges of the beam flanges and having means embracing such flanges, the embracing means of said two members engaging the beam at different locations, and means for rotating the first mentioned member to bend the beam around the same.

9. In a machine for bending structural beams, the combination of a rotary former having surfaces adapted to overlap and embrace the sides of a beam and having circular shoulders adapted to abut the flanges of said beam, a bending member adjacent the former and adapted to engage the beam, means for rigidly holding such members with relation to each other, an arcuate surface on the first bending member, and a flexible member lying around said surface and secured to said first bending member and adapted to rotate the same when drawn substantially in the direction of the unbent portion of the beam.

10. In a bending machine, the combination of a bending member mounted to turn on an axis and having an arcual seat for a beam to be bent and radial flanges to preserve the rectilinearity of the beam flanges, means for adjusting the width of said seat to provide for difierent sized beams, means for turning the member about its axis, and a coacting member mounted to turn about an axis and having a seat of adjustable width for different beams.

11. In a machine for bending I-beams, the combination of a pair of members side by side mounted to turn on an axis and each having an arcual shoulder projecting toward the other and a radial flange, said shoulders and flanges forming a seat for the I-beam, means for holding the two members together in adjusted relationship, means for causing said members to turn as a unit about their common axis, a coacting member composed of two disks each having a circular shoulder and a radial flange, said shoulders and flanges forming a seat for the I-beam, and means for connecting said disks in adjusted relationship.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD Y. MOORE.

Witnesses:

JUSTIN W. MAGKLIE, ARCHER WV. RICHARDS.

Copies of this patent may he obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

